asphyxiation.

The process of being deprived of adequate oxygen because breathing or the supply of breathable air is impaired.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• risk of asphyxiation
• asphyxiation in a confined space

On the page

The safety notice identified a risk of asphyxiation without treating the space as safe to enter.

The investigation linked the incident to asphyxiation in a confined space rather than visible external injury.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror / sci-fi / gothic. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: hazard description, speculative setting, bodily condition, scene explanation. Disciplines: genre writing, science-informed description, clinical and safety vocabulary. Commonness: moderately common.